For VMS deposits, he employs volcanic reconstruction, chemo-stratigraphy, and studies of hydrothermal alteration through lithogeochemistry and infrared spectrometry.

In physical volcanology, Dr Ross specializes on mafic to ultramafic volcaniclastic rocks, mainly of the submarine or phreatomagmatic types, especially those from maar-diatreme volcanoes. Laboratory to large-scale experiments can help understand volcanic processes when field work is not sufficient.

Current research - a summary

Maar-diatreme volcanoes

Diatremes are volcanic pipes filled by volcaniclastic debris. Their surface expressions are called “maars”, which are volcanic craters excavated below the original ground surface. Many kimberlites are diatremes, and kimberlites can contain diamonds. Volcanic processes operating inside diatremes are not well known. Our research program combines field work on well exposed diatremes and experiments. Currently, an MSc student is mapping the Cathedral Cliff diatreme in the Navajo volcanic field, New Mexico, USA.

Geology of the Lalor gold-rich VMS deposit, Snow Lake, Manitoba

Auriferous volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits represent significant exploration targets. Their metallic content that combines large amounts of gold and base metals makes them very attractive exploration targets and profitable mining operations. Many of the key features of auriferous VMS deposits have not been fully documented and understood. The Lalor deposit represents a unique opportunity to further improve our knowledge of the Snow Lake belt geologic and metallogenic evolution, the metallogeny of the Proterozoic Eon, and more specifically the metallogeny of gold in VMS systems, which is a key scientific question. Currently, one PhD student and one MSc student are are documenting the geology, geochemistry, stratigraphy, structure, hydrothermal alteration and mineralization at Lalor.

Geochemistry of volcanic rocks in the Blake River Group, Abitibi Subprovince, Quebec

The goal of this project is to use existing and new geochemistry to improve the stratigraphy of the Blake River Group at a regional scale. This will have implications for VMS exploration.

Improving core logging with the INRS mobile laboratory

Exploration drilling is expensive, and the drill cores are under-utilized. The Mobile laboratory for the physical, chemical and mineralogical characterization of rocks is being used in Matagami (VMS mining camp, Abitibi Greenstone Belt) for a two year multi-sensor core logging project, funded by FRQNT. We aim to improve the laboratory and data interpretation methods. Specifically we are working on developing geochemical and mineralogical vectors towards ore, and multi-variate statistical methods. One MSc tudent and one research professionals are involved.

RECENTLY COMPLETED PROJECTS

Volcanology of the Blake River Group, Abitibi Subprovince
This study focused on mafic volcaniclastic rocks in the Blake River Group: their physical volcanology, geochemistry, stratigraphic position, absolute age and origin. Results were recently published as two papers by Ross et al. in CJES (2011) and a number of GSC reports (see above).

The porphyry-style Archean Mo-Cu system at Tilly, Baie-James, Quebec
This UQAM-led MSc project, supervised by Michel Jébrak, looked at Sirios Resources Inc.’s Tilly property, where several Mo-Cu ±Au showings occur in an Archean tonalite. Mineralization is found mostly in hydrothermal breccias and stockworks and seems locally associated with porphyritic intrusions.

Multi-sensor core logging in the Matagami mining camp
We used the Mobile laboratory for the physical, chemical and mineralogical characterization of rocks on drill cores from the Matagami mining camp. Highlights of the project are the ability to identify cryptic contacts using the multiparameter data, the ability to “see” dikes in intense alteration (chloritite) zones, and the ability to differentiate between visually similar less altered lithologies based on the portable XRF data.A paper has been published in Ore Geology Reviews and two at GEEA.

Maars-diatreme volcanoes in Argentina and Montana

Quaternary basalitc maars and Tertiary ultramafic diatremes were studied in Argentina and Montana, respectively. A paper has been published in JVGR and one in Bull. Volc.

Volcanic architecture of the Matagami mining camp, Abitibi Subprovince, Quebec
The Matagami mining camp in the north-central portion of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in Quebec contains numerous VMS deposits and has the potential for several more discoveries. Active exploration by the private sector is ongoing. The current PhD project aimed to reconstruct the volcanic architecture of the camp to help mineral exploration.

IOCG systems in the Great Bear magmatic zone
The Geological Survey of Canada’s Great Bear/IOCG project focused on developing an exploration framework for polymetallic iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) deposits in the Great Bear magmatic zone, a north-trending 450 km-long, volcano-plutonic belt between Great Slave and Great Bear lakes in the Northwest Territories.
Two graduate projects on the mineralogy and geochemistry of IOCG alteration were completed at INRS/GSC-Quebec.

We studied the Waconichi Formation on the Lemoine property in the Chibougamau area. The goal of the MSc project was to better understand the volcanology, chemo-stratigraphy and hydrothermal alteration on the property to help target future VMS exploration and learn about submarine felsic volcanism in the Archean.